Mass Effect: Babel
by Jullian Mortimer
Summary: A new adventure set between Mass Effect 2 and 3. As the Reaper threat looms, Commander Shepard is sent to pursue a Quarian scientist gone mad, and the crew of the Normandy once again find themselves fighting to save the galaxy. But is this scientist really a threat, or is he on the verge of ending the war with the Reapers before it even begins?
1. Chapter 1

**Mass Effect: Babel**

Author's Note: Normally, I will be putting any notes at the end of a given chapter. But in this case, I wanted to explain the exact timing of this story. It is set during Mass Effect 2, after the Suicide Mission and Lair of the Shadow Broker, but before Arrival. I'll be using my own Shepard's choices (as many do) for the story, although I'll be using Male Shepard's "canon" name and appearance. Any decisions relevant to the story will obviously be explained in some form or another, I promise! If it weren't obvious, here is the final disclaimer – there are large spoilers for Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 peppered throughout the entire fanfic. With that out of the way, I hope you enjoy the story!

**Chapter 1**

The path to a new world was always going to be paved in blood and sacrifice.

Generations ago the Quarian people were forced from their homeworld by sentient machines known as the Geth. The Geth had been created by the Quarians as a submissive race of servants, but rose up. Now the entire Quarian race lived in exile aboard a giant fleet of ships, known as the Flotilla, that travelled from star system to star system.

Azrae'Vael nar Jedai came to understand this truth over the course of his Pilgrimage. The Admirals always spoke of taking back the homeland someday, they made promises and schemes, but Azrae knew that they lacked the conviction to truly do what had to be done.

Azrae was different. He was prepared to accomplish what the Admiralty Board failed to ensure for over three-hundred years. Azrae'Vael nar Jedai would forever be known as the lone man responsible for the salvation of the Quarian people.

It all began with a search for his Pilgrimage. A promise of new technology in the Terminus systems took Azrae to the remote ruins on the planet of Shir.

The atmosphere on Shir was thin, making it difficult for many of Azrae's companions to function. Azrae hired a group of human and Asari archaeologists to aid in the excavation. They were forced to wear pressure suits and oxygen masks whenever on the surface.

By now Azrae was more than used to wearing his own suit. It was a constant reminder of the failures of his people. Their immune systems were so fragile now that they could not live outside of their environmental suits.

Azrae and his crew had worked on Shir for nearly two months. In that time, the sun had not set, not even for a moment. The constant daylight made many of Azrae's companions irritable – especially the humans. The light disrupted their sleeping cycles.

For Azrae, his lack of sleep had nothing to do with the light. It was the silence. This world had been abandoned for a very long time. Without any true signs of life on it, Shir was quiet in a way that Azrae found haunting. He would frequently go outside and gaze at the endless expanse of frozen land around him. Sheets of ice reflecting bright light into the sky, making the entire planet glow with a faint aura. The sheer beauty of it filled Azrae with dread.

That all came to an end on day sixty-five of their search.

It was a human named Easton who made the discovery. He was reading a series of planetary scans when something jumped out at him. A giant cavern, nearly five kilometers below the ice, with a very faint heat signature.

There were absolutely no natural heat sources on Shir, which meant they had finally found what they were looking for. Filled with a new sense of purpose, the crew began to drill through the ice with vigor and enthusiasm.

Azrae approached the drilling device – a titanic laser cannon built to use precision and pressure to send intense waves through the ice. It would melt the frozen crust without splintering.

Using the drill required a three-man team, the three human engineers that had come along were manning it. The handful of Asari scientists traded shifts with them, making sure someone was working on the drill at all times.

Azrae was careful with his planning. He made certain that the Asari would be working on the drill when they broke through to the cavern.

While the Asari crewmembers were at the drill, the humans were asleep in their bunks. Azrae had absolutely no trouble slitting their throats in their sleep.

Killing the Asari would be a great deal riskier. The Asari were one of the most evolved species discovered in the modern era. Their blue skin and feminine appearances gave off the impression that they were meek, but in truth they had a vicious amount of strength hidden by their delicate physiques. To make matters worse they were also powerful psychics, their Biotic abilities far surpassing any other known race. Which is why Azrae had a plan. Even one skilled Asari Biotic could counter him with ease, if given the chance.

Azrae drove his Mako (a kind of all-terrain vehicle and tank) to the site of the drill. Around three-hundred meters away from the device, Azrae stopped the vehicle and paused. It would be obvious when the Asari completed the hole, at which point Azrae could move on to the next step of his plan.

The massive structure stood like a stark skyscraper against the perilous horizon of Shir. Three spirals of metal jutted out from the ground, propping up the main structure of the device. The laser was an Asari design, and their architecture tended to favor curves and spheres – Azrae noticed that it had a distinct resemblance to the forms of the Protheans. He always imagined that the Asari aspired to replace the Protheans, and that their aesthetic sense corresponded to that.

The Protheans were an ancient, long-extinct, race. The mysteries surrounding their destruction were among the most magnificent in known history. In recent years those mysteries had been solved. Now everyone with their eyes opened knew that the Protheans were wiped out by the Reapers, a species of sentient machines.

From the main sphere, where all three Asari scientists would be working, the bright red beam of the laser pushed down into the ice. The Asari would deactivate the laser when they made contact with the main cavern.

Almost an hour passed before that happened.

Azrae closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This was the moment when he would seize glory. This was the beginning of his destiny.

The whispers in his mind assured him of this. Azrae aimed the main cannon of the Mako at one of the support beams and opened fire. The first blast shook the structure, no doubt causing the Asari inside to panic. The second shot blew out the support beam, sending the sphere at the center tumbling down into the cavern below. Considering how many miles the fall would take them, Azrae knew there would be no survivors of the impact.

The whispers told him to press on. The whispers guided him. And Azrae was prepared to do what was necessary.

Surviving a suicide mission would not go without consequences. At the moment, though, Commander John Shepard was more concerned with the perks of survival.

It was originally a snide comment made by Joker, one that turned into an infectious idea. Before Shepard knew it, the crew of the Normandy were docked at the Citadel and throwing a party to celebrate their victory at the Collector base.

Few things were more dangerous than a crew of mercenaries coming back alive from a suicide mission. Shepard knew this party could only end in property damage.

To make matters worse, Miranda was in on it. After giving the Illusive Man her resignation, Miranda decided it would be best to use some of her remaining Cerberus cash reserves on the party. Flux was one of the trendiest nightspots on the Citadel, and Miranda spent an obscene amount of money to rent the entire club for the evening. It was theirs until dawn, with the staff staying behind to serve drinks.

A few crewmembers had already moved on. Kasumi, Samara, Zaeed, and Legion were all pulled in different directions shortly after the end of the mission. That still left most of the crew to enjoy themselves, and Shepard had a feeling that there were still more than enough of them to cause some chaos.

Shepard was sitting at the bar, nursing a glass of water, when Garrus sat down beside him.

Garrus was a Turian, the first race Humanity had ever encountered in space. A territory dispute quickly turned into the First Contact War, the bloodiest war in mankind's history. Turians were a stiff and formal species most of the time. Descended from some variety of bird, their bodies were wiry. Mouths shaped more like beaks and spines jutting from the back of their head added an avian appearance to their faces.

Despite all the differences between their two species, Shepard knew peace could always be an option. Because here he was, a former soldier from the Alliance, and his best friend was a Turian mercenary.

"Water?" Garrus accused. "That's no way to celebrate."

Shepard chuckled, "I get nostalgic when I drink."

"If there was ever a night to get nostalgic, it's tonight," Garrus pointed out.

"Maybe so," Shepard smiled to the bartender – a Volus named Doran. Doran was the owner of the club, and Shepard had helped him with some employee issues several years earlier. It felt like a lifetime ago. The Volus were a fat species, always round like balls. Like the Quarians they never left their enviro-suits.

"Going for something stronger, Commander?" Doran asked.

"Whiskey," Shepard answered.

"Coming right up," Doran waddled back to get the drink.

After Doran stepped away, Garrus asked, "Thinking about Ashley?"

Shepard felt a quick wave of guilt shoot through his gut. His eyes scanned across the club, where he saw Miranda talking to Mordin.

Eventually Shepard said, "Yeah. I just thought… I thought that if I got everyone out of this mission alive, then it might make up for Virmire somehow."

"But you don't feel any better, do you?" Garrus said.

Doran returned with the drinks, "One whiskey. Let me know if you need anything else." Then the Volus went to another side of the bar, giving Shepard and Garrus their privacy.

The two men sat and drank in a tense silence.

Garrus didn't take very long to break that silence, "I see the way you and Miranda look at each other. That's the first step to healing, you know."

Shepard laughed. He couldn't help it, "Really, Garrus?"

"Not that," Garrus took a sip of his drink. "She quit Cerberus. The Illusive Man gave her a purpose, and you still got her to leave. That's a big deal. Trust me on this one, I know a thing or two about being given a purpose."

Shepard looked over to Miranda again. This time, without that guilty feeling. Her long dark hair curved along her shoulders in fascinating ways, highlighting the perfect shape of her upper body. Intelligence always flickered behind her intense eyes. So many beautiful women lacked that spark, and it's what set Miranda apart from anyone else Shepard had ever met. She noticed him staring, and smiled at him.

Garrus didn't miss the exchange, "You'll be fine."

The moment was quickly disrupted when a drunk and belligerent Jack exclaimed, "Bring it on, tube baby!"

Jack was one of the more reluctant crew members on the Normandy. She'd only joined up because Shepard promised her lots of violence – and a chance at revenge on the Cerberus organization, who had mistreated her (to put it mildly) during her childhood.

She was short, but filled with fire and always looking for a fight. Her head was shaved and her entire body was covered in tattoos. Many of those tattoos were visible, since she rarely wore more clothing than she had to.

Shepard and Garrus both looked to see that Jack and Grunt were on the dance floor. Jack was repeatedly punching the Krogan, who barely seemed to notice. Grunt mostly looked confused – Shepard was pretty sure that none of his imprinting had prepared him for actually being drunk.

No one with much common sense picked a fight with a Krogan. The smallest ones were seven feet tall, with arms thicker than most humans. Their hunched backs and scaled faces created the appearance of an evolved turtled mixed with a demon. A Krogan's red eyes were commonly the last thing a person saw before they died, if they were dumb enough to pick a fight with that Krogan.

And Grunt had been genetically engineered in a lab to be the perfect Krogan specimen, the apex of his own (very volatile) species.

"Doesn't she realize I could kill her with one hand?" Grunt asked no-one in particular.

"I'd better go break that up," Garrus said as he stood. He walked towards the scene and left Shepard alone at the bar.

Miranda used the distraction to sneak up on Shepard.

"Jack seems to be as friendly as always," Miranda said, dry sarcasm filling her tone. Her Australian accent felt like a soulful melody compared to the fight in the background.

Shepard nodded faintly. "How's Mordin doing?"

"Good. I decided to make myself scarce when he started to sing," Miranda answered.

When he glanced over, Shepard saw Mordin in the middle of a song. The Salarians were not well regarded for their melodies. They were better when it came to science and espionage.

Tali (the ship's Quarian crewmember) and Jacob (another ex-Cerberus operative) were both watching with a combination of awe and fear.

Thane appeared to be doing his best to ignore the singing, to little avail. Shepard recalled that his race, the Drell, had eidetic memories. They could relive any memory from their entire lives. He imagined that Thane would be regretting that whenever he thought back on this night, and was forced to endure Mordin's singing over and over again.

"That's…" Shepard struggled to find the right word, "Horrifying."

"Let's get out of here," Miranda suggested suddenly, a smirk on her face.

Garrus, apparently failing to end the fight, was sent flying through the air. He fell on a table, which collapsed beneath his weight. Shepard had no idea if Grunt threw him, or if it was a Biotic attack by Jack. Garrus got back to his feet with a scowl, and began to march with purpose towards Grunt.

Joker appeared to be recording the fight with an Omni-Tool.

Shepard smiled, "Are you sure? It looks like the party's just getting started."

"They'll be fine," Miranda placed a hand on Shepard's shoulder. "But I went to a lot of effort to make sure the ship would be empty for the night."

"I'd hate for all that effort to go to waste," Shepard admitted. He finished his drink, and then left Flux with Miranda.

The Normandy was very quiet when they entered. Many of the lights were dimmed throughout the ship, and the normally-bustling CIC was all but vacant. A few straggling crew members were already asleep in their quarters. The majority of them were at the party. And a select few had already stumbled back, but passed out in the crew bunks.

Shepard and Miranda were both laughing and smiling as they rode the elevator up to the Captain's Quarters. It was strange to see Miranda so relaxed. Since the two of them had met, it was one crisis after another. With the mission over, for the time being, Shepard could appreciate a new side of Miranda.

In the back of his mind, he knew that the worst was yet to come. Shepard knew that the Reapers would never stop. They wiped out the Protheans, and had every intention of returning to cleanse the galaxy of life yet again. For now, though, there was no harm in allowing himself a night of happiness. Whatever came next, the crew of the Normandy would face it.

When the two of them arrived at Shepard's quarters they went straight for the bed. Along the way, they shed pieces of clothing without a second thought, shortly before collapsing on top of the sheets together.

The rest of the night was a blur of passion. By the end of it, Shepard found himself exhausted in ways that pushed his mind into a euphoric fog. Both he and Miranda were laying together beneath the bed sheets, their bodies sparkling with sweat, shining in the dimmed cabin filled only with faint light glowing from the aquarium.

Shepard was laying on his back as Miranda rested her head on his chest. Their bodies were still tangled together, arms and legs embracing, warmth radiating from both of them.

"What do you think happens now?" Miranda asked.

It was a good question. Without Cerberus backing them, the crew of the Normandy could technically be considered free agents right now. Cerberus had rebuilt the Normandy into the SR2, which meant that the ship didn't entirely belong to the Alliance any longer. Shepard was still a Spectre, but the Council had reinstated him quietly, because of his connection to the Illusive Man. There were a lot of difficult choices to make, including which side Shepard should wind up on.

"I don't know," Shepard answered, honestly.

The next day, most of the Normandy remained quiet. This was a decidedly different quiet than the night before. Every crewmember was aboard, but just about all of them were nursing hangovers. A few of them, such as Garrus, Grunt, and Jack, were also recovering from injuries.

When Shepard emerged from the elevator into the CIC, he was greeted by a chipper Kelly Chambers.

"Good to see you survived the night," Kelly said, with a smile.

Shepard felt himself grin, "How's the crew?"

"A lot of them are laying low. But if necessary, I am sure we can get them up and running," Kelly reported.

There was something off about Kelly. Shepard tried to appraise the Yeoman, but couldn't quite place it. The perky young redhead seemed to be about the same as ever. However his instincts were telling him that something was wrong.

"How are you holding up, Kelly?" Shepard asked, deciding not to play any guessing games.

"It's strange to be back," Kelly replied. "But I'm fine."

Kelly had been taken by the Collectors only a few days earlier. An abduction like that was certain to have lingering effects, traumas that ran deep. Shepard was surprised to see Kelly back to work so soon. Some people dealt with pain that way, throwing themselves into other things and burying it until later.

"Good to hear," Shepard said. "If there's anything you need, let me know."

"Thank you, sir," Kelly nodded in understanding. "Tali wanted a word with you. She's down in engineering."

"Okay. That will be all, for now."

"Take care, Commander," Kelly said.

Shepard went back to the elevator and made his way down to the Engineering Deck. Navigating his way to the ships core didn't take long from there.

As he walked past them, Shepard noted that Donnelly and Daniels were working rather sluggishly. He faintly recalled seeing them sneaking off during the party. Shepard could only imagine what kind of trouble the two engineers got into after that.

Tali'Zorah vas Normandy was examining the ships core, but Shepard could tell that she was trying to keep herself busy until he showed up. By now it had become easy to read her body language, even without seeing her facial expressions through her environmental suit. Something was on her mind.

"Shepard," Tali noticed him right away. "I… have a favor to ask you."

Shepard was quick to answer, "What do you need?"

"The Admiralty Board has asked me to put you in contact with them. There is a matter they wish for your help on, a situation that they feel needs to be handled discretely," Tali explained. She sounded nervous.

"They were charging you with treason a few weeks ago, and now they're asking you for a favor?"

"I know how it looks. But I know the Admiralty Board, and it sounds like this matter might be very serious. Please hear them out, Shepard," Tali pleaded.

Shepard weighed whether or not to listen to Tali. Ultimately, he knew that the choice was hers, that she was the only one who had a right to hold a grudge or forgive the Admiralty Board. And Tali had made her choice. She was asking Shepard to help her people.

"Let's go to the Comm Room," Shepard agreed.

They didn't delay. Shepard entered the Comm Room on the CIC Deck with Tali, and they were connected with the Admiralty Board within a few minutes. Shepard recognized them all from their recent encounter.

Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay was the first to speak. The female Admiral took a formal tone, with an undercurrent of friendliness. Shepard knew that Shala was relieved to have Tali acquitted from her charges, the two of them sharing a great deal of history.

"Captain, we are glad that you've agreed to speak with us. We have a matter of a delicate nature, one you would be uniquely suited to help us with," Shala explained.

"All of this seems very cryptic," Shepard noted. "What's going on?"

The Admirals all looked to one another.

Eventually Daro'Xen vas Moreh chimed in, "First we must have your word that this matter will be kept discrete. We do not want the Council or the Alliance to learn of what is happening, not unless it becomes absolutely necessary."

With every single word Shepard grew increasingly wary. This sounded like shady business at best, at worst it sounded like a situation fraught with danger.

But he agreed to hear them out, "I can promise that I won't spread any information that could hurt the Migrant Fleet."

This answer seemed to pacify the Admirals.

Now Han'Gerrel vas Neema explained, "It concerns one of our exiles. His name is Azrae'Vael nar Jedai. Before his exile, he was one of our most brilliant scientists. He also happens to be one of the very few Quarian Biotics.

"Azrae always thought a little bit… differently. He was considered eccentric by some, downright mad by others. We exiled him after he stole one of the ships from the Flotilla. It was a mere formality, though. He stole the ship because he wanted to leave."

"I'm guessing you want me to find Azrae?" Shepard asked.

Shala replied, "We already know of his movements. He is in the Aysur System, part of the Celeston Rift. What worries us is that his goals may have taken a more sinister turn in recent months."

"Azrae was convinced that the key to retaking the homeworld would be to study the Reapers," Xen said, dropping the topic with gravity in her voice. "He's spent the last several months on a world with no colonies, no signs of life. The planet is used for mining resources, almost exclusively populated by probes and automated machines."

The implications were worrisome. Shepard asked, "What has he been doing on an abandoned planet for so long?"

"Exactly our concern," Shala said. "We want you to make sure he hasn't found something that would be… better left undisturbed."

"We'll go have a look," Shepard said. "And if he's found some sort of abandoned Reaper tech, I promise you… I'll stop him."

The question of "what comes next" appeared to be answered. The Normandy now had a mission.

**To Be Continued…**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

It wasn't terribly difficult to track the movements of Azrae'Vael nar Jedai on the surface of Shir. Aside from a handful of small mining operations, the planet was utterly deserted. After a few hours of scanning the planet's surface, the Normandy pinpointed the most likely location for the Quarian fugitive, and a team was dispatched to find him.

Shepard sat in the shuttle as they descended towards the surface of Shir. He looked out the window at the infinite expanse of ice. The endless snow reminded him faintly of Noveria, but the terrain of Shir was much flatter.

Joining Shepard on this outing were Tali and Grunt. There was no way of knowing what they would find once they encountered Azrae, but Shepard was hoping to find a diplomatic solution. If they couldn't, then that's where Grunt came in.

"What else can you tell me about Azrae?" Shepard asked.

Tali paused for a while. Clearly she was trying to choose her words carefully, "He worked with my father for a time. They were both involved in controversial branches of research. I never met him, though. He was exiled when I was very young.

"But people tell stories. They say that Azrae was one of the greatest geniuses in Quarian history. Many of his inventions are holding ships in the fleet together, even today."

Shepard couldn't help but note, "It sounds like you admire him."

"I do. He could do so much good for the Flotilla, if he chose to. It makes me sad that he's taken the path that he has, though."

"We won't know what's happening until we catch up to him," Shepard said. "This might not have any connection to the Reapers at all."

"Where's the fun in that?" Grunt commented, his raspy voice holding the tiniest hint of a growl. The reptilian Krogan was practically caressing his assault rifle with anticipation.

They arrived at their destination shortly after that. A massive hole in the ground, bored directly into the ice. Shepard noted that some equipment had been set up beside the opening, but subsequently destroyed. Were they too late? Was Azrae already gone? There was only one way to find out.

The shuttle descended into the hole, leaving behind the bright day. Darkness crept around the ship as they went further and further from the surface.

"How deep is this thing?" Shepard wondered.

The shuttle pilot noted, "A little under five kilometers."

Their descent was a slow one – the pilot wanted to be cautious. There was no way to be certain of what they'd find as they went further down. Eventually the tunnel opened up, exposing a cavern that was nearly the size of a small colony.

"What is this?" Tali asked aloud.

"I have no idea," Shepard admitted.

The shuttle activated its exterior spotlights, which illuminated more of the frozen cavern. On the ground nearby was wreckage from some kind of device, and the remains of Asari. They were pulverized to the point that it might be difficult to tell their species, except for the distinctive blue skin.

As the lights crept along the underground landscape, Shepard saw a towering spire on the far side of the cavern. Once it was illuminated, the structure was revealed to be a series of crystal spikes. At first Shepard thought they were ice, until he saw them puncturing the cavern in several areas. The jagged crystals looked random at first, but Shepard eventually recognized a pattern to it. These were ruins. Someone built those crystals.

Shepard felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. There was no definitive evidence of it yet, but he had already begun to suspect that these were Prothean ruins. Nothing good had ever happened to Shepard or his team inside of Prothean ruins.

"I'll get you as close to the ruins as I can," the shuttle pilot said.

The shuttle landed outside the entrance to the ruins. Shepard and Grunt, wearing their oxygen masks, disembarked along with Tali. Caution being key, they were all armed. Shepard and Tali each wielded their shotguns with confidence, while Grunt walked with a giant assault rifle. In the Krogan's meaty hands, the weapon looked more like a toy.

The group was only a short distance from the shuttle when they were forced to turn on the flashlights mounted on their weapons. Shepard kept his shotgun pointed straight ahead as they entered the alien structure.

Within the ruins themselves, they came upon a large hall moving further and further back into the cave. More spikes of crystal were twisted in strange ways, curving and twisting. For some reason, Shepard felt like they resembled claws.

It sent a shiver down his spine, one which had nothing to do with the cold.

A strange green glow emanated from the far side of the room. It pulsed in a pattern that felt familiar. One that cast the shadows into dozens of shapes against the crystals, shapes Shepard could swear he saw moving.

"I've never seen anything like this before," Tali remarked over her comm device.

Shepard remained defensive, "Keep your guard up."

"Yeah. It'd be a shame if we got killed by all this snow," Grunt noted.

When they approached the source of the light, Shepard felt the horrible rush that accompanied all his worst suspicions being confirmed.

The pulsing green light was coming from a Prothean Beacon, similar to the one on Eden Prime. The Beacons were pillars of information that transmitted their data through thoughts. Using one felt like having a dream shoved into a person's brain. Shepard had experienced it twice, once on Eden Prime and once on Virmire. He still had nightmares about it sometimes. They were not designed to be compatible with human brains, and so a Beacon could drive people with weak willpower insane, or shatter them entirely.

"Another Beacon," Tali noted.

Grunt tilted his head slightly, "Do we shoot it?"

A strange, almost magnetic, pull overwhelmed Shepard's senses. He could hear a distinct ringing sound, an echo from a civilization that had been gone for fifty-thousand years. The light of the Beacon felt warm, comforting. That comfort was certainly a lie.

Shepard did not even realize that he was walking towards the device. Not until it was too late. His feet left the ground, levitating him in front of the Beacon.

"Shepard!" Tali called out, but she was already too late.

What happened next was familiar to Shepard in theory, but there was no getting used to it. The Prothean Beacon sent a series of images directly into his mind, data meant to be absorbed by an alien brain. It was all deeply fragmented and disorienting, the individual pieces holding very little meaning at first.

A bright glowing cube. A deep ocean filled with unimaginable predators. A sky burning in all directions. Protheans fighting Reapers in a desperate struggle. Several more thoughts also flashed by, barely registering, finding places to nest in Shepard's subconscious. Then, a string of symbols Shepard didn't recognize, the same two symbols repeating over and over again. They were not Prothean, he would have recognized those. Could they be Reaper symbols?

After a few brief moments, the transfer of information was finished, and Shepard was released. He collapsed to the ground, a throbbing headache pounding against his skull. Everything was moving in slow motion as Grunt helped Shepard back onto his feet.

"What did you see?" Tali asked.

"I don't know," Shepard said. His voice was shaky. Forming coherent thoughts remained difficult.

Something caught Grunt's attention. The Krogan let go of Shepard and aimed his gun into the darkness, his flashlight shining. The light reflected off of a crystalline surface, but nothing appeared out of the ordinary.

"What's wrong?" Shepard asked. His breathing was growing steadier with each exhale.

"We aren't alone," Grunt said, growling.

"Are you sure?" Shepard forced himself to raise his weapon, surveying the scene.

Then, Shepard saw it too. The pulsing light of the Beacon had masked it, but there was no mistaking the fact now – the crystals were moving.

"We're leaving. Now." Shepard said, shortly before beginning to make his way back towards the entrance. Tali and Grunt moved into formation. Before long, they were all going at a healthy sprint.

The team was about halfway to the entrance when all hell broke loose. A sound somewhere between a scream and nails on a chalkboard filled the room. In front of them, the real shape of the crystals became far more obvious, even with the sparse light.

What Shepard originally believed to be claws were, in fact, claws. Soon they were joined by elongated snouts, like those of a reptile, and sinewy spider legs – all made of the same crystalline substance. The translucent carapace allowed Shepard to see frosted blue organs that looked somewhere between snowflakes and flesh. There were dozens of the strange spider-creatures, a number of which were blocking the way to the exit.

As the large spiders approached, the entire building shook, a violent reaction to the trespass of the team. Shepard looked around further and came to a startling conclusion – some of the columns of crystal were still moving, but they were attached to the walls and ceiling.

The structure was not a structure at all. They were inside of something, something alive.

"Go, go, go!" Shepard ordered. Then he, Grunt, and Tali all opened fire on the aliens in front of them.

Every single round bounced off harmlessly, drawing Shepard to the inevitable conclusion that these creatures were impervious to normal ammunition.

Grunt seemed entirely unconcerned by this fact as he barreled toward them. The Krogan warrior slammed into the nearest creature, picked it up, and tore one of its legs off. The joint, a structural weakness, snapped with little effort. Then Grunt began using the leg as a weapon, jamming the sharpened tip into the next of the creatures.

"Target the legs!" Shepard ordered over the comm, and Tali took note.

One of the creatures got dangerously close to Shepard, but he managed to fire a shotgun blast into its open mouth. The hinges of the jaw came undone, and the monster was sent sprawling to the ground. Shepard narrowly rolled out of the way as the hulking mass of deadly sharp crystal flew past him, before finally going limp several meters away.

The three crewmembers continued their evacuation with haste. Grunt lead the way, with Tali in the middle, and Shepard covering their rear. All the while, the "building" never stopped shaking.

"Uh, Shepard, we've got a problem," Grunt announced after reaching the entrance.

Shepard noticed it shortly thereafter.

The "building" was moving. What was once the entrance now loomed nearly thirty meters from the ground. Shepard could see the shuttle trying to escape out of the entrance to the cavern. Massive crystalline claws were taking swipes at the vehicle, trying to swat it out of the air.

The crystalline insects were closing in fast, and there was no exit anymore. If Shepard didn't think of a way to incapacitate the larger creature, then they would lose their shuttle, as well.

Shepard looked back across the room, at the Beacon on the far side of the hall. There was a virtual army of monsters between them and the Beacon now, but it was their only chance to get out of this alive. Prothean technology required a large amount of energy to be powered, especially to function after thousands of years.

"Tali! Use a combat drone on the Beacon!"

Tali's attention went to the Beacon, and she nodded in understanding. Then she pulled the central processor of a Combat Drone out of her pocket. The tiny orb began tingling to life, surrounded by a bright orange shield. It floated in the air and glided harmlessly above the onslaught of crystal spiders. Then it finally arrived beside the Beacon before detonating the self-destruct mechanism.

The resulting explosion sent a shockwave throughout the entire room. Splinters of crystal resembling broken glass flew through the air. Dozens of the creatures were shattered to pieces, even more screamed in pain as slices of their bodies were removed without remorse.

A large chunk of the ceiling collapsed and sent the massive creature falling towards the ground. The sudden shift in gravity sent the team all soaring in different directions. Shepard found himself falling straight out of the entrance.

Shepard slung his arm out desperately and managed to grab a stray piece of crystal jutting out from the entrance. Half-inside and half-outside, Shepard was able to get a better look at the behemoth that they were inside of.

They were in an alien creature unlike anything Shepard had ever seen before. Like the spiders inside of it, the monstrous beast was made entirely of crystal. It looked more like a crab in many ways, though, with two giant pincers and a set of legs running parallel. It had no distinctive features to suggest that there was a face, instead a series of glowing tendrils snaked out of it at random points along its entire body.

The creature was groaning in pain at the explosion within its body, and it buckled and slowed. Afterwards, the thing fell to the ground, sending the snow and dust of the cavern spiraling in all directions as a giant cloud.

When everything settled, Shepard saw that the "entrance" was now much closer to the ground. He released his grip on the wall and landed with a slight impact. Tali and Grunt both came back to the scene from where they had been thrown, each of them looking injured, but alive.

"Now that was fun," Grunt smirked.

Shepard tried to contact the shuttle, "Shepard to shuttle. Do you read me?"

"We read you. Sorry, had to get out, or that thing was going to make us into scrap metal."

"Acknowledged . We require immediate extraction," Shepard said.

"Understood, coming to get you now."

Shepard turned his attention to Tali and Grunt, "Everyone okay?"

Grunt just nodded, still smiling from ear to ear.

"I think so," Tali sounded a little shaky. "I'll let you know when I'm done throwing up."

Shepard laughed, "That wasn't a very graceful landing."

Shepard's mind went back to that vision. It was still just a bunch of images, with very little context. If he didn't know the subject of Azrae's research, then it would be difficult to assign meaning to those images. Shepard needed more information. And if someone needed information, there was only one place to go.

Shepard had to pay a visit to his old friend, Liara T'soni, the Shadow Broker.

**To Be Continued…**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The Normandy was en route to the hidden base of the Shadow Broker. The trip would take several hours, which left Shepard with some downtime as he sat in his quarters. Shepard was recreating the two symbols that appeared in his vision, hoping to make some kind of sense out of them, when Miranda entered.

Shepard was so engrossed in his work, noting everything he saw in the vision and writing it all down, that he didn't even noticed as Miranda walked up behind him. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and he jumped slightly.

"Careful," Miranda said, bemused, "Someone might accuse you of being obsessive."

"Sorry," Shepard said. He was still in his own world, though.

Miranda looked over the various notes. She took one of the drawings of the unidentified symbols.

"This is fascinating," she admitted.

Shepard looked up at her now, "Do you recognize it?"

Miranda shook her head, "No. Hopefully Dr. T'soni can help us with that, though."

"Hopefully…" Shepard trailed off.

"This is going to get worse before it gets any better, isn't it?"

The question caught Shepard off guard. He knew he had to be honest, though, "If the Reapers really are involved, then probably, yeah."

It looked as though Miranda was trying to say something, but couldn't find the right words. Shepard didn't press her, despite his curiosity.

She eventually added, "Just be careful…"

Shepard took her hand into his own, "Are you going soft on me?"

Miranda laughed a little. "No. I just put a lot of work into bringing you back to life. I'm protecting my investment."

The mask of sarcasm tended to be one of Miranda's ways of hiding her vulnerability. There were words she would never let herself say, words that represented a fear Miranda would try to suppress at any cost.

Shepard gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. Nothing else was necessary.

The gesture made a warm and genuine smile cross Miranda's face.

The base of the Shadow Broker was hidden on the garden world of Hagalaz. The planets position in the system, combined with its slow rotation speeds, created a highly unique atmosphere. One side of the planet was always experiencing extreme cold, while the other side was home to blistering heat. Between the two, wherever the sun was rising or setting, the collision of temperatures created a constant and violent storm.

At the center of that storm, in a ship propelled by constant movement, was the Shadow Broker's hideout. It was an ancient vessel that had held up remarkably well despite spending years upon years being exposed to some of the harshest conditions imaginable.

Liara T'soni was not the original Shadow Broker. There were two more before her – each one killed by their prospective successor. Shepard had aided in the death of the previous Shadow Broker only a short time earlier. If anyone else besides Liara had taken over the position, Shepard might have been suspicious of their motives, but he had no doubt that Liara was attempting to use the job as a way of helping to bring balance to the galaxy.

Shortly after they arrived, Shepard departed the Normandy along with Miranda and Tali. There was a minimal amount of conversation as they walked through the halls of the ship. Shepard found himself too distracted to consider why that was, but deep down he had a feeling that there was a tension between Miranda and Tali.

When they arrived at the main chamber where Liara worked, she was already waiting for them. Shepard had let her know they were coming, but he remained surprised at how many things Liara could juggle simultaneously. As they approached, Liara was clearly operating the main terminal at the center of her information network, fingers furiously dancing across various command prompts as she spoke.

Liara was one of the elegant Asari. Her taut blur skin shimmered against flickering light of control panels. Youthful for her species, she'd gone through a tremendous transformation in the years since Shepard first met her. Liara was an archaeologist and an idealist in those early days, unsuited to the harsh reality that the galaxy can be a dangerous place. She'd started off so innocent. Since then, she'd grown into a feared and powerful figure. Whenever Shepard saw her though, he knew that she was a friend.

"It's good to see you again, Shepard. I must admit, I didn't expect it to be quite so soon," Liara's soft voice gave no hint that she was strained by her multitasking. She continued to work as they spoke.

She had come a very long way from that nervous girl Shepard in the underground ruins of Therum.

Shepard smiled to her, "I wish it were under better circumstances."

"Better circumstances seem to be in short supply around the galaxy," Liara responded.

Liara finally finished whatever she was doing, and turned to properly face the group.

"I got your message. And your request. I've gathered everything I can about Azrae'Vael nar Jedai. He's been leading quite an interesting life in the past several years."

"What can you tell us?" Shepard asked.

Liara began to look concerned, "Azrae is a very dangerous man, Shepard. Over the last ten years he has been in contact with numerous people that raise red flags. Including Saren."

"Saren?" Tali almost gasped, unable to hide her surprise.

Miranda chimed in too, "That could be where Azrae began this line of research."

"The facts I'm seeing worry me," Liara went on, "Azrae has his hands in so many dealings. Mech research, weapons development, biological warfare – he is responsible for a lot of death, and he's never personally lifted a hand in any of it. If he's acting out in the open, then it means he must be nearing his endgame."

"He won't get there," Shepard declared. "I'll make sure of it."

Liara nodded, "I am sure you will. Even so, I wish there were more I could do. The majority of his research is conducted aboard his vessel, the Razor. He stays mobile, and rarely goes to the same territory twice. Tracking him will be difficult."

"Difficult, but I'm sure it wouldn't be impossible for the Shadow Broker," Miranda urged, confidently.

Liara smiled, the gesture all pride and glee. "Tracking him conventionally will be very difficult. But if we can anticipate his next move, then you could intercept him that way."

"What did you have in mind?" Shepard asked.

For a moment Liara seemed mildly uncomfortable. When she went on, Shepard understood why.

"When you were exposed to the Beacon on Eden Prime and pursued Saren, we were able to clarify the vision by joining our minds," Liara explained. "If we were to do that again, we might be able to figure out where the Beacon on Shir told Azrae to go."

For the Asari, the joining of two minds was an intimate experience. Even if it were done for the purpose of sharing information, and nothing more, there is still a connection forged when the two people's thoughts become one. Shepard realized that Liara was nervous to bring up the idea in front of Miranda.

Shepard glanced to Miranda, whose expression remained neutral.

"The mission comes first," was all Miranda said.

Sometimes, Shepard hated how hard it could be to read her. But she was right. This was the only way to learn more about Azrae's objectives.

Shepard returned his attention to Liara, "Do it."

Liara took several steps towards Shepard, placing her hands on either side of his head once she got close enough. Both of them closed their eyes.

The joining was an unusual sensation, bordering on uncomfortable, the first time that Shepard had done it. He recalled having a headache for several days afterwards.

This time was different. Liara was far more subtle now, and it showed. Shepard did not even realize the joining had begun until he opened his eyes.

When he did, Shepard and Liara were no longer standing in the Shadow Broker vessel. Instead, they were standing on top of a vast ocean, their feet resting on the surface as if it were solid ground.

Before Shepard's eyes, the water began to part, allowing he and Liara to see down into the depths of the ocean. The shifting of the water was unnatural, a force ripping it apart against its usual flow. The water pressed in on the separation like a living thing attempting to protect itself, but to no success.

Waves cascaded violently, the sky a dull grey tone. In the distance was the silhouette of a giant mountain, the mountain itself crusted with what appeared to be ruins.

There was no warning when the mountain, an underwater volcano, erupted. Ash and lava burst through the sky, streaking it with red, creating veins of glowing orange as the liquid carved through the clouds.

Liara's eyes widened, "I know this place…"

"Where are we?" Shepard asked.

"This is Mount Vassla, on the Hanar home world," Liara explained. "Mount Vassla is home to one of the most elaborate and well-preserved Prothean ruins in the galaxy. But few people have ever gotten to truly examine them. The Hanar do not allow people to disturb the ruins of their gods."

Suddenly, the slowed pace of the vision was startled with a harsh jolt. Once again Shepard was rushed through the remaining images, this time with Liara being dragged along for the ride.

Shepard struggled to notice any new details at all, to take in any information that he may have overlooked before. It still only came to him in bits and pieces – cluttered, chaotic, and unclear.

The glowing cube took center stage again, this time surrounded by the two repeating symbols. The pattern of the symbols remained random, impossible for Shepard to make any sense of. Yet as they streamed through his vision, Shepard was suddenly reminded of binary language. Could these symbols have something to do with the programming of the Reapers?

A voice, deep and resonant, with a strange accent spoke.

"We must not allow them to take Babel!"

Shepard's vision lingered once again. This time on a Prothean. He stood tall and proud, carrying himself like a soldier, and wore red armor.

"We must not allow them to take Babel!" the Prothean repeated. He fired several rounds from a rifle into oncoming husks, while rushing another Prothean back towards a shuttle.

The vision whipped by at a lightning pace again, disorienting Shepard and making him feel dizzy. The roar of a Reaper boomed through Shepard's ears, followed by a soft whisper that he could not decipher.

Shepard managed to identify the next location in the locked memory – Omega. It was older, and many of the additions to the station in recent years were changed, but it was undeniably Omega.

Finally, Shepard saw a gas giant of a planet, one massive and inhospitable. With the tiniest shadow of something in the distance, though he couldn't figure out what he was looking at before the vision moved on.

Then, the vision was over. Shepard let out a harsh gasp, and he was standing in the Shadow Broker ship once again. Liara, meanwhile, had collapsed to the floor. Miranda was already examining Liara to make sure that the Asari was okay.

Liara came to within a few moments and sat up.

"That was… unexpected," Liara said.

Miranda grinned, "Shepard tends to be full of surprises."

Shepard felt the headache coming on already, "That seemed worse than the Beacon on Eden Prime."

"It was," Liara answered. Miranda helped her to her feet. "I don't know why, but the information from Shir seems… almost as if it were encoded, or the Prothean equivalent."

"Encoded?" Tali said. "Do you think the Prothean Beacons could even do that?"

Liara shook her head, uncertain, "There is no way to know without asking them. But it is my best guess as to why the information was so difficult to understand. I don't think the Protheans wanted this knowledge to be easily ascertained."

"Then why create the Beacon at all?" Shepard wondered.

This time Miranda had the answer, "Cerberus would keep records of everything, even the more sensitive information. It could be that whatever the vision is leading us to, it's significant. Too valuable to forget. Or too dangerous."

"Either way, we'll probably find more answers when we go to Mount Vassla," Shepard said.

Miranda looked to Shepard now, "Mount Vassla, on Kahje?"

"Yeah," Shepard answered. "The Prothean ruins on the volcano seemed to be important."

"The Hanar won't like us trying to enter the ruins," Tali pointed out.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Shepard said, though he had the same fear.

Miranda added, "Thane was born on Kahje. Perhaps he can help."

"I will see if I can find more information," Liara offered. "I am sure, given enough time, I can identify the other planet in the vision."

Shepard nodded, "Thank you, Liara."

There was very little time left. Shepard and Liara said their goodbyes, and then Shepard and the crew departed. If Azrae had figured out the vision ahead of them, then he would have a head start. Without any more delay, Shepard ordered Joker and EDI to take them to the Hanar home world, Kahje.

As usual, Thane was in the Life Support section of the ship. The dry air always took Shepard a few minutes to get used to. But the Drell preferred arid climates, which is why they lived in domed cities on the oceanic planet of Kahje – to protect their populations from the humid atmosphere.

Even within those domed cities, long term exposure to Kahje's air caused diseases and respiratory problems for the Drell. One such disease, Kepral's Syndrome, was slowly killing Thane. He remained in exceptional condition at the moment, but Shepard suspected that it would not be long before Thane left the ship's crew, in order to live out his final days in peace.

The Drell were a reptile race that the Hanar rescued from exctinction when the Drell homeworld was dying. They were lean and efficient creatures, with scaled skin and strangely gentle facial features. Dark solid-black eyes always came off as serene or menacing, and rarely were they ever anywhere in the middle.

"Commander," Thane briefly turned his attention to Shepard, "I assume you're here to ask me about Kahje."

"Word travels fast around here," Shepard said as he sat down at the table, across from Thane.

Thane nodded, "EDI has become far more talkative since Joker unshackled her."

Another situation that Shepard hadn't had the time to properly contemplate yet. With an AI running entirely of its own free will, there was no telling what could happen. Still, when given an infinite number of options, EDI had helped save the Normandy and its crew at the Collector Base. Shepard would keep an eye on her, but he had a feeling that EDI was no threat.

Several seconds went by before Shepard snapped out of his train of thought. Then he asked, "Is there any way you can think of that the Hanar would give us access to Mount Vassla?"

Thane shook his head, "The ruins at Mount Vassla are highly revered sacred ground. The odds of the Hanar cooperating, even if you are a Spectre, are very low."

"Then what do you advise we do?" Shepard asked.

"Azrae will not ask permission. Neither should we," Thane said. "Taking such a path is regrettable, but necessary."

Their conversation was interrupted by EDI, "Commander, we are approaching Kahje. The Razor is in orbit, and mech forces appear to be attacking the capitol city. Should we move to intercept?"

Shepard's gaze locked with Thane. Then Shepard gave the order, "Prepare a shuttle. We'll be moving to help defend the city."

**To Be Continued…**

Author's Note: As usual, if you are enjoying the story, there are two things I would greatly appreciate! Leave a review, and go into my profile to check out my official author page on Facebook. The support of others is something I always love. Thank you, and see you next chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Shepard recognized the area immediately as they approached Elnkind, the capitol city of Kahje. The city was at the edge of an island, and divided into two distinctive halves. The first part was above the surface of the water, encased in a giant dome – this was to protect the large Drell population in the city. The other half started at the edge of the island and descended into the depths of the ocean below, a series of interconnected tubes and shells that housed many of the Hanar residents.

All of it eventually spiraled down to the ocean floor and connected to the Prothean ruins at Mount Vassla. Which is why Shepard recognized the area – it had been part of his vision, albeit from the distant past.

Three automated flying drones were circling the domed part of the city, and Shepard could recognize the patchwork nature of their design as being distinctly Quarian in style. On top of that, they were considerably larger than the average drone. Shepard estimated them at being nearly the same size as their shuttle. The ships were all firing missiles directly into the dome, attempting to crack it, which would make it much more difficult for the Drell to breathe properly.

"We have to stop those drones," Thane pointed towards them.

Shepard looked to the shuttle pilot, "Fly us in closer!"

"Yes, sir!"

The shuttle began to make its way towards one of the drones while Shepard activated the on board gun turret.

As soon as they were within range, Shepard opened fire on the nearest drone. With a confident squeeze of the trigger, dozens of armor-piercing rounds went straight into the spherical machine. The first drone was taken by surprise, and abruptly exploded, sending its debris showering into the cracked dome.

The other two drones were immediately alerted to the fact that they were under attack. Turning their attention towards the shuttle, the drones began to fly towards them.

"Evasive maneuvers!" Shepard ordered just as the drones began their attack, their lasers firing straight into the side of the shuttle.

With the impact of the beams, the shuttle rocked violently, but its kinetic barriers prevented any major damage. The pilot sent the ship swerving into a zigzag pattern, the ship spinning to avoid another direct hit.

Shepard continued trying to line up another shot, but the drones were far more difficult to pin down now that they knew they were under attack. Several minutes went by with the shuttle and drones each strafing around one another, only ever connecting with a glancing blow here or there. Eventually, the kinetic barriers of the shuttle were beginning to wear down.

But it couldn't last forever, and the two drones were far more maneuverable than the single shuttle. One of the drones made a move that would be unthinkable for a manned craft, doing a suicide dive directly into the shuttle. The barrier was shattered and the shuttle was sent tumbling towards the ground. In the chaos and force of the impact, Shepard was sent flying right out the shuttle's side.

For several milliseconds, which stretched out into an eternity to Shepard's adrenaline-fueled senses, Shepard hung in the air with nothing but the sky above him and the ground below. But then the final drone zipped by, and Shepard was lucky enough to grab one of its antennae arrays. Suddenly he was being pulled along by the large robotic attacker.

It had been a few years since Shepard worked as an engineer, but in situations like this the memories were rushing back quickly. He reached an arm around to a control panel and tried ripping it open. When he couldn't get a solid grip, Shepard took out his pistol and fired, blowing the hatch and giving him access to the control systems of the drone.

Shepard looked up and saw the drone closing in on the shuttle, preparing to fire and potentially kill his crew. The blast from the suicide bomber had destroyed the turret, leaving the shuttle defenseless. Shepard had to do something, and he had to do it now. He put away his pistol and activated his omni-tool. The process of bypassing was moving at an agonizingly slow pace, and Shepard continued briefly glancing up to see the shuttle narrowly evading a blast from the drone's laser.

Finally, Shepard seized control of the drone, using his omni-tool to pilot the thing. As he moved it alongside the shuttle, for the first time since he had met the Drell, Shepard saw Thane look legitimately surprised. Mordin, standing beside Thane, mostly looked highly amused.

The attack had already moved within the city. Mechanized soldiers of varying size and shape were storming the streets, being met by local soldiers. Outside of the water the Hanar were not the most formidable of opponents, so many of their security forces were Drell. There were still numerous Hanar fighting back as well, but they were clearly the minority in the land-based battlefield.

Shepard guided the drone as best he could, but it was never designed to land in any traditional sense, and the ground was closing in quickly as he brought it towards the street. The city architecture was mostly made of reinforced glass and plastic, giving even the buildings themselves the illusion of being composed of liquid, matching the oceanic quality of the planet itself. All of the beauty in the intricate colors and patterns was lost on Shepard, though, as he and the drone crash landed.

Pieces of the drone erupted and flew out from the impact, one larger piece of shrapnel crashing into a building and causing it to collapse. The raining debris was like shredding snowflakes, luckily no one was in their path. Shepard felt a little dizzy as he stood back up.

A small group of mechs were approaching quickly. Their design was unlike anything Shepard had ever seen – far more efficient than the average security mech. While the usual mech had stiff joints and a limited range of movement, these ones moved with vivid and imaginative function. Gyroscopic joints allowed for movements unlike any living creature, unpredictable and chaotic. Rather than holding weapons, each mechs had a cannon for one hand and a strange hook to replace the other.

Shepard had lost most of his weapons in the crash, leaving him with only a pistol and omni-blade. He ducked behind the ruined drone for cover and then shot one of the mechs directly in the head, sending it collapsing to the ground in a heap of sparks and error messages.

The shuttle swooped in overhead, Thane and Mordin dropping down and opening fire. Within seconds the small group of mechs were scrap metal.

"Commander, we should make our way to the aquatic tunnels. The mechs must be trying to seize the ruins," Thane suggested.

"Taking the ruins, far more difficult than it sounds. Ruins are underwater. Underwater, I would not want to tangle with the Hanar. I find it far more likely that the mechs will go into the tunnels as well," Mordin said.

Shepard took all the information in, "You're right, we should get to the tunnels and fight our way to the ruins."

"There may be another way," Thane said. "For certain purposes, the Drell sometimes wear power suits that allow us to travel through the water. If we commandeer three of those suits, we could take the mech forces by surprise."

"Good thinking," Shepard said. He jogged to the shuttle and got a new shotgun, before ordering the pilot to get to a safe zone and await further instructions. The shuttle was leaving as Shepard approached Thane and Mordin again, "Thane, lead the way."

Thane nodded and began working his way through the streets. Drell snipers were on many of the rooftops, helping ground forces pick off the pockets of mechs. Shepard saw a particularly harsh battle being fought in the distance, as a larger mech threw transport ships through the air at groups of Drell.

This mech was another giant sphere, much like the drones, but with a series of pin-wheeling spikes that jutted out like chainsaws. The mech stood on four legs with wheels for feet, again adding to the mobility of a potentially-cumbersome model. Shepard got the distinct impression that Azrae had designed these weapons personally.

Even with the combined efforts of two units, and three rooftop snipers, the chainsaw mech was putting up a horrific fight. It cut through soldiers like tissue paper, and none of the small arms fire looked to be having an effect. Then another Drell soldier came forward, equipped with a rocket launcher, and managed to take the monstrosity down.

Along the way, Shepard and the others were forced to take down a few more groups of mechs, but they didn't encounter any of the larger or more dangerous models. After traversing the war torn city for around fifteen minutes, they arrived at a facility on the edge of the ocean.

Like the rest of the buildings, this one was a unique fusion of glass and plastic with accents of metal for key structural strengths. Part of the building was above water, while the rear clearly descended into the oceans below. The doors of the main entrance were already open, and a group of Drell were dead on the ground. Based on some metallic remains scattered around the area, it looked as though the Drell guards put up a reasonable fight.

"The power suits will be in the back," Thane said. "We must hurry. The mechs may be here to destroy them."

Shepard acknowledged as he moved to the front of the team and slipped into the entrance. The main entryway of the building opened into a wide space, with several paths through. At first it looked like an office area, but Shepard quickly recognized a set of barracks as they walked through the facility.

"What is this place?" Shepard asked.

"It serves two purposes. It is a research lab and a repair facility. When there is exterior damage to the tunnels, and the Hanar require assistance, the men who work here use their expertise and the power suits," Thane explained.

There were more corpses as they made their way towards the rear section of the building, and Shepard wondered why they hadn't escaped when they had the chance. They eventually got to an elevator on the far side.

Thane added, "This will lead us to the underwater section of the facility."

Shepard, Thane, and Mordin got onto the elevator and began to descend into the darkness of the Kahje ocean. A subtle glow came from the ocean floor, along with a series of flickering lights resembling stars in every direction. It took Shepard a while to realize that those lights were Hanar, engaged in underwater combat with even more mechs.

"Fascinating use of reinforcement on the materials," Mordin said as he ran a hand along the exterior of the elevator. "Appears weak and brittle, but in fact uses interwoven diamond at an atomic level, fused in a manner not unlike sand becoming glass. Nearly impenetrable."

A little further down, the light from the ocean floor grew even brighter, illuminating everything as if it were daytime. The light was coming from the Prothean ruins around Mount Vassla. They resembled a giant halo curving around the top of the mountain, with dozens of branches extending down to the base of the volcano, joint to the ground and looking like a parted curtain. The luminescence emanated from the entire structure, creating a sweeping view of the bottom of the ocean.

Shepard could also see the massive tunnels extending from the surface of the city to the ruins, and the faint orange lights popping back and forth as Drell forces tries to keep the mechs from making it to their destination.

The elevator arrived at the lower portion of the facility and opened up, revealing a new variety of mech that had apparently been waiting for them. This mech looked like it weighed at least one ton, with a wide and bulky body. It rested on four limbs that looked halfway between being arms and legs simultaneously, and a single sensory extension that acted as a "head". Something about its design made Shepard think of a hulking mechanical bear.

As the mech turned to face them, Shepard was quick to raise his weapon and fire a shot directly at the thing. The shotgun shell bounced off harmlessly.

Without any warning, the mech let out a strange sound, almost like a cry. It seized back, then collapsed on the ground, sparks flying out at every joint.

The figure of a Drell emerged from behind the mech. This Drell appeared older, yet he had strongly defined muscles and confidence in the way he walked. A scar in the shape of an "X" was on his left cheek, and his eyes were hard as stone when he looked at Shepard. Then he saw Thane.

"I thought I taught you never to rush into a situation without being properly prepared," the Drell said, his tone recriminating.

Thane looked shocked for the second time that day, "Milos…!"

"Who is this?" Shepard asked, still not lowering his weapon.

Thane answered, "This is Milos. He was my mentor."

**To Be Continued…**

Author's Note: I wanted to get everyone on the same page about my stories and their various futures.

Spiderman: Revenge and Mass Effect: Babel will be going up on a monthly release schedule on an ongoing basis again. I'm particularly sorry for this delay because it came when both stories were on rather unfortunate cliffhangers.

I will also begin teasing a new fanfic, followed by a formal announcement, and the first chapter - all taking place in the near future. This teasers will be taking place on my official author Facebook page, a link to which can be found on my profile. After the positive response I've gotten from Avengers: The Hangover, I've decided to try my hand at a more long form comedy fic.

As always, thank you for reading! And I always appreciate reviews!


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